MONTHLY MEETING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 257, 9 April 1915, Page 6

MONTHLY MEETING.

The ordinary meeting of the Parihaka Road Board was held yesterday at the Board's ollico, Rahotn, when there were present: Messrs .las. Ymnf,' (chairman'. T. Ham v. M. Hickcv Cassio, and il. Holmes. Mr. \V. V. (.roen telegraphed apologisiii;; for his absence.

On the motion of the chairman, secnirled l>v Mr. Harvey, it was resolved !■> extend a vote of 'sympathy to Mr. ami Mi':-.. <!r:v;i in the serious accident to their child, and the hope was expressed Chat the child woo Id soon recover Mr (Iran was jjr.tntod leave of absence. RAKIIIAKA EGAD. Messrs 11. Evsnuhl. Tt. Stouex, and .Joseph Eatock a»knl that the Parihaka Road, from the Kaliui Road to the Wiremil Road, be repaired. They pointed out that the road would be impassable for a horse in the winter. Noihinjf had been done to it for about five years, and ClO would put it in order for the winter. The clerk, pointed out that the road was .G'2(> in credit, and that nothing had been expended on it for the past three years. Mr. C'assie said that the road was fenced in at the Carrington Road, and lie moved that the settlers he asked to remove (he fence within one week, failirir which the board will remove it at their expense.

Work to the extent of £2ll will then be done on the road. THE KAHUt ROAD.

Mr. S. M. wrote, asking that various bad' holes in the Kahui Road be repaired, and that three rocks (not stones) should be removed. He offered to supply th< ;■< eessary explosives. Regarding the repairs to the road between Eatock and Stonex's, he stated that the settlers were prepared to -hi the flirting, and spreading if the board would .strip a few loads from the various pits handy.

Mr. ('!. Wilton also asked that a fvi'l piece of road near his place at tlie top of the road should be metalled. Later Mr. Wilton waited on the board. During a discussion of tlie foreman's report, it was resolved to expend up to £25 on repairing the road, which war, heavily in debt. The chairman expressed the opinion that it was impossible to keep the road in repair on a halfpenny rati;. Mr. Wilton considered that if the rate was not sufficient, a higher rate, should be struck. The chairman stated that this would be objected to by a number of ratepayers. The settlers on the road could strike a special rate for a year or two to put the road in order.

AX IMPOUXDIXti COMPLAIXT. Mr. A. Wingatc wrote, complaining that his horse had been impounded, and that he had been charged 5s (viz., driving Is, poundage Is, and 3s extra). He asked that the schedule of charges should no forwarded regarding the extra 3s.—The poundkeepor stated that Mr. E. Duggan, who impounded the horse, had charged 3s damages.—No action was taken.

KAWKOKA ROAD. The Reserves Agent (Mr. E. Barns) stated that the Public. Trustee cpiite understood the position regarding the road, but treated felling as if it were formation, as it was necessary to fell the bush and clear it before the formation could be gone on with. It would be necessary to fell eight acres, which he understood would be done for £2 10s per acre. ' This was in reply to a letter from the board, stating that no formation was asked for. They had merely asked that the standing bush'should be felled, which the settlers said they were entitled to under the terms of their leases. The foreman considered that it would be much better to fell the bush on the road for the chain width, and clear i.'; to 12ft. wide in one operation. After some discussion, it was decided to refer the matter to a committee consisting of Messrs Holmes, Hickey, and the clerk to obtain further information, and to report at next meeting.

OPOURAPA ROAD. Mr. Symons waited on the board, and asked that some work should be done to the top end of the Opourapa Road, near his section.

■ Members sympathised with the request, and, as it was shown that the road would be in credit to the extent of £50,. it was decided that the overseer inspect the road and report at next meeting, with a view to assisting the top portion, at the same time ' -ring in mind that the metalled •"•!•;: .; of the ro.-ul bad to be maintain! '. IHAIA ROAD.

A suggestion by the foreman that one year's rates be expended on repairs to the Ihaia Road caused considerable discussion. It was stated that the lhaia Road was £7O in debt, and that a year's rates amounted to £l3O. It was also pointed out that money would be needed to repair the road in the spring, and accordingly the foreman was authorised to expend up to £SO mi the road.

BAYLY ROAD BRIDCiI

Messrs Harvey, the foreman, and the clerk reported that they had visited the site of the bridge, about which Messrs Brophy and others waited on the board at last meeting, and they recommended that a reinforced concrete bridge should be erected at a cost of £GO, the settlers having offered to provide the gravel and the filling. It was decided to adopt the recommendation, and the work will be done bv the staff. FOREMAN'S REPORT.

The foreman (Mr. J. P. Kennedy) reported that the top portion of the Upper Arawhata Road was being repaired. He recommended that the whole of the road, which showed signs of breaking up, should be attended to while the stall' was there. The £2O of work for improving the track on the Upper Kahili Road to the Mountain reserve was almost completed. Mr. Stonex's hill would be water-tabled and repaired immediately. He suggested that all the hills on the. road should be water-tabled. From the Wiremu Road to the factory, the road required repairing. Repair's had been attended to on the Tipoka Road. Additional work was required when the staff was avilble. Thirty yards of metal had been carted and spread on tinLower Kahui Road. Two pipe culverts had been placed on the AVarea Road. Maintenance work had been attended vo on the Lower Kina and Cape Road*, and sixty yards of metal had been plaee.l on the Bayly Road. Five 24-inch pipes, twelve !l-inch pipes, and six 12-inch pipes had been utilised during the month. The foreman was authorised to o x . pend up to £SO on repairing the Upper Arawhata Road.

COMPLAIKT RKOARDIXCi WORK. At the last meeting 0 f the board, Oliver Cross, a ratepayer on the Opua bond, waited on the. board ami complained about the cost of metalline earned out on that road bv" two members of the board's stair. He also stated that another member was sheltering Tinder the trees against a slight shower. Tlie matter was referred to the overseer for his report." Yesterday the overseer reported that four days of the twelve had been expended m s(rp;.-j,i,,fj a pit that had been elosed for fifteen years, and during the other flight days the metal had been put on the road at a cost of 3s. including netting, breaking, carting and spreading. Iho other man complained of was on contract.

_ hi discussion, the foreman stated that six or seven years ago the metal was

factory, and had bedri ' sacked:"". fiu emphasised the fact, that as overseer

he would have to hear the brunt of ex-

THE OVERSEER'S WAGES.

The chairman withdrew his notice of motion regarding increasing the overseer's wages. He stated that the overseer had apnrouchcd him on the question of a " rko," hence his notice of tion. Tie had since decided that it would be inadvisable to deal with the matter at this, the last meeting of the board, and would therefore leave tile di'.estion to the new hoard.

VALEDICTORY. The chairman thanked the members for the manner in which they had assisted him during the term. Their relations had been most harmonious, and the same cordiality 'had prevailed between th- I'M-mbcrs and the stall'. The beard had received many complimentary references from settlers regarding the work of the stall'. 'Possibly some of. the ratepayers were not satisfied, but the March meeting was the first occasion—and he hoped it would be the last —on which anv complaint had reached the board. He hoped.the ratepayers would put forward the best possible men to fill the vacancies on the board. Personally, he had not decided whether to stand again or not. The board had always tried to keep the roads open to traffic and had assisted a number of roads from the credits of adjacent roads, /['.his'was not tfie best policy, because a time would come when those roads now in credit would need repairing, ir.nd if all were overdrawn the hoard could not carry on. He also pointed out that it cost the board a good deal in interest to carry some of the roads through. Some "of tile roads that had been made fifteen or twenty years ago were costing a considerable "mount to repair, and lie doubted if a, halfpenny rate would be sufficient much longer.' He paid a tribute to the work of the clerk, from whom he had received every assistance.

GENERAL. The striking of the special rate in connection with the special.loan of £OOO on the Kaweora Road was confirmed-. The election, if uecessarv, to fill tile vacancies caused by the retirement in rotation of the members for the Pungarchu, Rahotu and Oaonui wards was fixed for May 4.

The foreman wn s authorised to report on one or two matters on the Wiremu Road, referred to by Mr. Cassie.

ccssivo cost of any work, ajul therefore was not likely to keep uaultva

On the fijjuros being' lookc' up, whs aswrtainod that the cost of i!■ :> metal, including opening the pit, v.s 3s lOV'jil pel' yard, which members considered very satisfactory-. Tlio chairman stated thai, lie agreed tl>at it was reasonable to give a new liand a chance, lmt lie should be sacked as Kuon as found inisatisfactorv. Tlii' same should a'pplv to the old hands. The board paid !)s per day, wet and dry. and only demanded a fair day's work. They did not want to carry any man on their hacks. Members of the board "were not in a position to suv whether a man was always doing a fair day's* work. That was for tlie overseer Po decide, and lie was responsible to the Ijoard. The fart that the man had been sacked might prove a to tlio others. The mat-tor then dropped.